Because I am a sucker, I have started doing the Paleo diet that many of my friends have advocated. It's gluten-free, dairy-free, and fun-free. No, just kidding. It's just that my favorite foods are the shrimp po-boy and rice and gravy, so what is a Southern girl's body to think about this strange turn of events?

Now, I ain't doing this forever, obviously; it's just until I can see all those awesome muscles daily doses of Tracy Anderson produce. But I thought I would share a few things we've been making that have been SO GOOD and adhere to the Paleo rules.

Y'all. Make this now. I haven't felt this fervently about a dish since Emeril's Chicken Salad, which is the salad I would take with me onto a desert island. Since fresh crabmeat costs a bazillion dollars, and you should not ever use packaged crab, because it is gross, we substituted fresh Gulf shrimp (boiled and chopped), and had it over Romaine lettuce. Vince and I cried. Madeleine took the bowl into her room and locked the door.

The recipe linked calls for strip steak, but we substitute skirt steak, marinate it in a bunch of lime juice/soy sauce/agave and then grill it. Don't argue. Just make it. Have it with a grilled vegetable on the side and die happy.

This is so good. I'm obvi cheating with the butter, but you don't have to use as much, or any, if you don't want to. The important part is the artichokes. Get extra artichokes. You are going to want more artichokes. Sometimes the next day, I eat cold artichokes. That is how much I love artichokes. Arti-what? ARTICHOKES.

This one is kind of cheating because I don't think legumes are allowed, but, whatever, shut up. Eat it on a bed of lettuce. It's perfect for when you have nothing else in your pantry but a can of chickpeas and a half a red onion in your refrigerator.

Too hot to eat? Having a bad day? Nothing beats a dinner of this old Southern favorite. Make yourself several and sit on a hot porch. Go to bed. Bonus points if it's in a mason jar and/or monogrammed glass.